Three Lambs Saved and United by a Melody

-A children’s story for Ashi celebrating his birth-

Baba Weiss was born in Israel, outside of Tiberius, near the Kinneret, (The Sea of Galilee) on the hills of Galilee.

Baba White was born in New Zealand in the Mavora Lake region of the Taringa Tura Hills:

Separated by two continents, two oceans, one in the Middle East and the other in a land, known as ‘Down Under’.

Two lambs on two opposite sides of the planet.

As seen from space, our planet is just a round pebble, with pockets of green vegetation, pools of water and what appears as several desert sandboxes, or a sprinkle of white snow, like powdered sugar on a peaked edge, whirling in space.

Baba Weiss’ Shepherd, Baruch Weiss, played his halil, an olive wood flute, at sunset, every evening before he rounded up his flock for the night.

Baba Weiss loved to hear Baruch play. So sunset was his favorite time of day.

At the very same time, in a different time zone, Baba White’s shepherd, Barry White, played his green jade flute at sunrise every day as he led his flock out to graze.

Baba White loved to hear Barry play, so sunrise was his favorite time of day.

Unknown to both Babas, they were two weeks away from being served on two separate tables, one for the Passover Seder and the other for Easter Sunday dinner.

The tune played, most often, by both shepherds was the same as also played on a Bedouin shepherd’s reed flute in the Sinai Desert.

It was an ancient tune composed by David or Daoud. as he was called by the Bedouin shepherd; and had become the favorite of Baba Weiss, Baba White and Baba Albyad, the third lamb, who belonged to Bashir Albyad, the Bedouin shepherd, whom neither Baruch, nor Barry knew.

Little was it known, but it was this tune that would save the two Babas and the third, Baba Albyad, who was destined for a celebration dinner, at the end of the Fast of Ramadan; as all were to fall on the same day, that year.

Through the miracle of a tune, Baba Weiss, Baba White and Baba Albyad met in a dream, dreamt by Baruch Weiss, Barry White and Bashir Albyad; each shepherd was told by his favorite lamb to keep his entire flock for one more year.

The dinner celebration for Passover, Easter and the end of Ramadan would be vegetarian at all three tables.

To this day, many years later, Baba Weiss, Baba White and Baba Albyad are alive. Their coats are shorn for wool but they continue to hear their favorite tune, the one David or Daoud composed.

And often, it is played exactly at the same time, in a different time zone by Baruch Weiss, Barry White and Bashir Albyad. They may not know it, but you and I do.

And, maybe, one day, they will not only meet in a dream but for real, as they do through different time zones, accompanied by their common, most favorite tune, played on their flutes.

And, perhaps, all of you, who read or hear this story, will meet all of them, together, when the three shepherds meet to celebrate, together, while playing their favorite tune.